Page 13 - Pristine Beaches News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Wouldn't be visiting the gulf. what do they attribute their success to there, they haven't had many soiled beaches or people starting to come back? >> reporter: well, i think the nun one thing they attribute it to is finally able to watch and see this wellhead with no oil coming out. as we were showing as so many were seeing the oil emanating and washing up on the beaches, that was the repellent, the thing that kept people away. since they put on the containment cap, even before the static kill that was the thing bringing the people back and the long-term reputation of the area, families, gene...

They had been capturing more but an estimated 20,000 fewer barrels were collected as a result of some of that wobbling. that's the situation there under water. what's the situaon on the beaches? supposed to be a big beach weekend this weekend. it's the 4th of july. this is when a lot of those businesses make their money but some tourists are not going to the beaches. some still are despite the reports of tar balls that we have been seeing showing up. meteorologist reynolds wolf is live from gulf shores, alabama today. beautiful as always but just the shot behind you doesn't tell the whole stor...

A lot of people down there with the restaurants, bars, hotels, reynolds, have been affected. some people starting to gather there on the beach as always but what are folks down there, reynolds, in gulf shores, expecting of this weekend? >> reporter: well, they're expecting a turnout. it may not be as big as we've seen over the last couple years. last year things were filled to capacity, all the hotels sold out. this year not quite so much. it is a $1.1 billion industry, tourism here along the gulf coast. here in gulf shores you've got 32 miles of pristine beaches, obviously it's taken a hit fr...

Oil as far off shore as we can. we're being inhibited by the weather. we will be out there hitting it hard. >> happy to report that admiral allen says he does not expect a hurricane to interfere with the operation to contain the oil itself. still gushing on day 72. >> hurricane alex is the latest plan to expand that operation and to double the amount of oil they're collecting. i mentioned that we were trying to get to rick leventhal on the satellite and the weather is not allowing. he's on the phone with us now from louisiana. how much oil are you seeing there now, rick? >> shepard, we had hop...

Shore, some say three. it bears watching and protecting. there have been 275,000 feet of the protective boom stretching across the region in louisiana and mississippi, back into florida and alabama. they have another 3,000 of the protective boom they are going to put out. they have on back order, 5,000 feet. about a million will be put along the coastline to protect the wildlife and the economy. the economic impact it's going to have on the region in terms of seafood, shrimpers and the people who collect the oysters and tourism. alabama coastline and florida coastline. you have the pristine be...